INF/TE/IDP/R/7  
 
5 October  2022 
(22-7534) Page: 1/8 
 Original: English  
 
DIALOGUE ON PLASTIC S POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE  
PLASTIC S TRADE  
PRE-PLENARY MEETING HELD ON 19 -20 SEPTEMBER 2022  
Aide Memoire by the Facilitator s1 
_______________  
 
 
The third out of four  2022 pre-plenary  meeting s of the Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and 
Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade ( Dialogue ) was held on 19 and 20 September.  The 
meeting was chaired by  Colombia, Philippines and Fiji . The agenda for the meeting was contained in 
the WTO document  INF/TE/IDP/CN/7/Rev.1  circulated on 16 September 2022.  All WTO Members 
were invited to attend the meeting.  
The hybrid  meeting was divided into five segments  and spanned over one and a half days . It covered 
discussions on each of the Dialogue's workstreams through technical work and presentations  by 
stakeholde rs and the WTO Secretariat . 
1  INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY COORDINATORS  
1. Colombia welcomed participants and recalled that the Dialogue was open and participative . A 
brief overview on the structure of the  meeting was provided  and participants were encouraged to 
share collectively on the agenda items.   
2. Philippines provided introductory remarks highlighting the Dialogue's successful Ministerial 
Statement  (WT/MIN(22)/12)  by the Coordinators , which was delivered at the 12th Ministerial 
Conference (MC12)  and the ongoing work on the two  surveys 2. It was informed that  feedback ha d 
thus far  been received by  a few Members on the Aid for Trade (AfT)  survey , while many  members ' 
measures were already included under the  Trade-related Plastics Measures (TrPM)  survey . 
Philippines welcomed furthe r submissions from Members while at the same time acknowledging the 
fact that this would require significant  internal consultations among their respective ministries.  
Philippines also encourage d the participation of stakeholders and partners in this process . 
 
1 This aide memoire is being shared to provide delegations with a brief overview of the discussions and 
assist t hem in reporting back to their capitals  as well as to the Dialogue plenary meeting . It provides a non -
exhaustive, illustrative review of the issues addressed by Members  and Stakeholders  at the meeting.  
2 Namely:  
Trade -related Plastic Measures ( TrPMs ) Survey : 
IDP Survey on TrPMs (Es) - Formstack  – Spanish . 
IDP Survey on TrPMs (Fr) - Formstack  – French . 
IDP Survey on TrPMs - Formstack  – English . 
Aid for Trade Global Review and Needs Assessment  Surve y: 
IDP AfT global review and needs assessment survey (Es) - Formstack  – Spanish . 
IDP AfT global review and needs assessment survey (Fr) - Formstack  – French . 
IDP AfT global review and needs assessment survey - Formsta ck – English .  INF/TE/IDP/R/7  
 
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  2  REDUCTION TO TACKLE PLASTIC POLLUTION AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR PLASTICS3 
2.1  Introductory remarks by facilitator  
3. Colombia introduced the workstream and explained that the session would be divide d into two 
main areas. First, the WTO Secretariat would give a presentation on the survey on TrPMs , the inputs 
that the y have received from Members  and the information that they have collected so far.  Secon d, 
different stakeholders and experts would  give a  series of technical presentations on their latest 
activities in reducing plastic pollution which would be followed by interventions by delegations and 
stakeholders . 
2.2  Survey of Trade -related Plastics Measures (TrPMs) : Update by the WTO Secretariat 
on the ongoing TrPMs survey  
4. The WTO Secretariat provided an update on the ongoing survey on TrPMs  which had been 
launched in June 2022 and was available in three languages  in digital format . Its aim was to map 
policies, iden tify gaps and potential opportunities and improve collective knowledge.  So far, the 
survey ha d received a few direct responses however , at the request of the Coordinators, the 
Secretariat had compiled a list of TrPMs that could already be found in the WTO Environmental 
Database and built survey answers for Members.  Based on this exercise, the Secretariat  had already 
identifie d 215 TrPMs and presented to the group a first sample  analysis on measures related to on 
"single -use plastic bags".  According to the a nalysis, 55 TrPMs targeted "single -use plastic", 29 of 
which specifically applied to "single -use plastic bags". Such measures used one or more of four 
criteria to identify single -use plastic bags: i) thickness of thickness of material ( e.g. < 50 microns) ; 
ii) usage ( e.g. purpose  or capacity) ; iii) Polymer input ( e.g. bio or polymer based) ; iv) e nd of life 
properties  (e.g. degradability ). The Secretariat further noted there were important variations in each 
criterium used . For instance, TrPMs  that relied on the "thickness" criteria varied from as low as 15 
microns to as much as 100 microns to differentiate "single -use plastic bags" . The Secretariat hoped 
this sample analysis could illustrate the potential value of the transparency information generated 
by the survey launched by the Dialogue once completed.  
2.3  Technical presentations by stakeholders.  
5. The Organisation for Economic Co -operation and Development (OECD) presented their  
findings from the Global Plastics Outlook  (GPO)  (part II), Policy Scenarios to 2060 . The presentation 
first recalled that the GPO (part I) which had been  released in March 2020 focussed on the message 
that all elements of the lifecycle of plasti c had to be tackled. It provided  a roadmap for increasing 
policy ambition to tackle plastics pollution  including closing leakage pathways ; creating  incentives 
for recycling and enhancing sorting at source ; and  restraining  demand and optimi zing design to 
make plastic value chains more circular and recycled plastics more price competitive . In the GPO 
(part II)  however , the OECD was focusing on preparing policy scenarios for projecting future plastics 
use, waste and leakage.  It quantified policy packages, investigate d synergies between plastic and 
climate policies and calculate d costs of policy packages at regional levels . The OECD explained that 
with an increase in plastic us age, all polymers were expected to increase  and g lobal plastics use was 
on course to almost triple by 2060  to more than 1200 megatons , in light of factors such as population 
growth  and economic growth . It also presented two policy packages: (i) regional action , which 
focusse d on gradual increase of  stringency of measures ; and (ii) global ambition , which call ed for a 
coordinated policy action . Ultimately, the OECD highlighted that the aim was not to eliminate plastics 
rather plastics pollution  and its environmental consequences . Therefore, clean-up activities were an 
essential part of any policy package.  
6. The Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Convention (BRS) provided an update 
on the plastics -related outc omes of the Conferences of the Parties (COP)  whose face-to-face segment 
was held in June 2022.  The theme of the COP was "Global Agreements for a Healthy Planet: Sound 
management of chemicals and waste"  and all together parties adopted 66 decisions out of w hich 
some were specific to plastic wastes.  On the Basel Convention , the Secreta riat gave a brief 
introduction on the Plastic Waste Amendments which were effective from 1 January 2021 and  
 
3 According to the Dialogue's Plan 2022 ( INF/TE/IDP/W/5 ), topics include how trade -related cooperation 
could help to support efforts t o reduce unnecessary or harmful plastics and plastic products, including single -use 
plastics and plastic packaging associated with international trade; and sharing experiences of effective 
approaches to move towards more circular resource efficient and env ironmentally sustainable plastics trade.  INF/TE/IDP/R/7  
 
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  informed that  parties had been working on implementing the se amendmen ts by updating national 
legislations . It provided information on the ongoing work related to updating technical guidelines on 
the environmentally sound management of plastic wastes  which was kick -started in the COP held in  
2019 and it is expected to be adopted in the next COP . Another discussion  which had been  triggered 
during th is last COP was whether guidelines on the environmentally  sound management of rubber 
wastes (entry B3040) and waste parings and scrap of rubber (entry  B3080) should be developed.  
The parties also discussed on possible further activities that could be conducted in response to 
developments in scientific knowledge and environmental information related to plastic waste as a 
source of land pollution, marine pl astic litter and microplastics . In addition, t he Secretariat briefed 
about the Plastic Waste Partnership which had 23 ongoing pilot projects in collaboration with various 
organizations including the World Customs Organization (WCO).  It also informed about  the 
Environmental Network for Optimizing Regulatory Compliance on Illegal Traffic (ENFORCE) to 
promote compliance with the Convention and mentioned other possible policy decisions which 
included improving the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure  and e-waste amendments . Finally, 
it presented  a few technical assistance projects addressing plastic waste  which were important in 
improving coordination between Trade and Environment Ministries.  Responding to a question, the 
Secretariat clarified that while they didn't have a specific programme for small-island developing 
states  (SIDS), they could  apply to projects, through Basel Convention Regional Centres . 
7. The Pew Charitable Trusts presented their comprehensive assessment of pathways towards 
stopping ocean plastic pollution . Pew explained that the business -as-usual scenario was not a viable 
scenario  and c urrent policies,  and commitments  would only reduce plastic pollution by 7% by 2040.  
However, Pew suggested that reduction of plastic production was the most attractive  solution from 
environmental, economic, and social  perspectives.  In order to achieve reduction in plastic usage by 
30%, they explored  three categories : (i) elimination of plastic use (8%); (ii) reuse plastic (4%); and 
(iii) new delivery models (18%).  A few possible trade policies were identified which could support 
business and inc entivize reduction  such as , coordinated regional or national bans on certain products 
or polymers that were problematic ; liberalize  tariffs and reduce non -tariffs barriers to trade in goods 
and services ; simplification and elimination of border measures ; reduce subsidies to fossil 
fuels/virgin plastics production ; facilitate technology transfer for refill and recycling technologies ; 
and transparent reporting on plastic trade flows across the life  cycle of plastic . 
8. The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) made  a presentation  on the Coalition of Action on plastic 
waste  and their latest  Golden Design Rules  designed to eliminate  unnecessary plastic packaging . 
There were eight coalitions with a variety of actors from the consumer industry. The CGF informed 
that t he aim was to accelerate the industry's effort s to tackle the plastic pollution challenge and help 
advance a world where no plastic became  waste.  The priorities of the coalition were: (i) taking action 
on the design of plastic packaging , on which a series of nine4 golden design rules had been developed 
for companies to reduce plastic use; (ii) extended producer responsibility  (EPR) which focussed on 
identifying "optimal EPR" and eco -modulation schemes and global alignment  to stop leakage into 
the environment5; and (iii) transitioning from manual recycling to chemical recycling, which could 
increase the plastic recycling rate so that companies could meet their targets and be in line with 
regulation s. A study on the Life Cycle Assessment of Chemical Recycling for Food Grade Film  had 
been produced.  
9. The MarViva Foundation pre sented the trade-related aspects of their work on plastic pollution 
in Latin America and the Caribbean . It is a regional organization which focuses on the full life cycle  
of plastics . They also briefed about an ongoing communication campaign to reduce the use and 
consumption of single -use plastics ; work on strengthening extended responsibility of producer s; 
work on including bioplastics among the measures to reduce plastic use;  and work on alternatives 
or substitutes . Among their recommendations to the Dialogue, they highlight ed: (i) disincentiviz ing 
the export and import of plastic waste in Latin America and the Caribbean; (ii) promot ing 
transparency and control over trade in waste; (iii) tackl ing illicit trade in plastic waste; (iv) bringing 
 
4 The n ine golden rules  were: (i) increasing recycling value in PET bottles; (ii) remove problematic 
elements; iii) eliminate excess headspace; (iv) reduce plastic overwraps; (v) increase recycling value in PET 
trays; (vi) increase recycling value in flexible packaging; (vii) increase recycling value in rigid HDPE and PP; (viii) 
reduce virgin plastic in B2B packaging; and (ix) use on -pack recycling instructions . 
5 The effort was ongoing, but the Coalition had already: i) p ublished blueprints for the effective 
implementation of Optimal EPR in Indonesia, UK and Canada ; ii) p rovided strategic and operational support to 
the set -up of Indonesia Packaging Recovery Organi zation ; and iii) Launched the Optimal EPR Hub, a unique 
forum for information sharing and collaboration, at a global level, about opportunities for in -country advocacy . INF/TE/IDP/R/7  
 
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  in line the initiatives at the WTO with other international cooperation efforts, such as those at U nited 
Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA)  and BRS efforts.  
2.4  Interventions by delegations and stakeholders.  
10. Delegations welcomed the contribution by stakeholders and the Dialogue's efforts in 
organizing the session. One delegation  recalled that  the lack of granular data had been identified as 
an impediment to the transition to a circular economic model in previous m eetings.  It welcomed the 
report by the OECD Secretariat and noted  that it provided information that could directly support 
and inform the development of domestic and international approaches to plastics.  Another delegation 
acknowledged the work related to development of the policy aimed to combat plastic pollution carried 
out at the WTO and other international organizations and forums.  It encourage d efforts to reduce 
plastic pollution via improvement of effective waste management systems, recycli ng and access to 
technologies . 
11. Four stakeholders also took the floor under this agenda. The Center for International 
Environmental Law (CIEL)  underscored that capping plastic production (i.e. reduction) and limiting 
single -use application of plastics (i.e.  reuse) were core policies for achieving the first pillar of a 
circular economy. The Forum on Trade, Environment and the SDGs (TESS)  noted the importance of 
identifying common definitions and reviewing policies that were inconsistent in terms of plastic wa ste 
management.  Finally, two stakeholders6 provided further information  on their recent studies and 
activities on the theme of plastic.  
3  PROMOTING TRADE TO TACKLE PLASTIC POLLUTION7 
3.1  Introductory remarks by facilitator  
12. The Philippines  introduced the workst ream and noted that the business community had a 
critical role in informing and shaping consumer behaviour . Philippines note d that t he industry ha d 
enunciated its own Environment, Social and Governance ( ESG) commitments  and hearing about 
business perspectives in scaling up these solutions  would  be relevant for  the workstream.  Experts 
from the private sector had been invited to give technical presentations on lifecycle assessment as 
well as product classification and their tariff rates  of alternativ es and substitutes to plastics and 
plastic packaging . 
3.2  Experience sharing by invited private sector representatives on using alternatives 
and substitutes to plastics and plastic packaging.  
13. From the cosmetic industry, Yves Rocher Foundation presented  on the  (RE)SET Cosmetics 
initiative  to replace plastic of cosmetics packaging by cellulosic fib res. The presentation  informed  
about the Pulp in Action consortium which was an unprecedented collaboration among 14 major 
cosmetic players that were supported by (RE)Set . All companies  had decided to innovate in the area 
of plastics packaging  but there were some challenges in terms of (i) recyclability  – developing 
packaging made up  of at least 85% cellulosic  fibres for a significant  material yield during recycling  
and the need to ensure sustainable fibre s (FSC, PEFC) or other biomass did not compete  with food 
crops  while gu aranteeing the availability of resources and the supply capacity of the cosmetics 
sector ; and (ii) chemistry – changing the chemical nature of coatings  towards 100% bio -based 
coatings and the need to ensure barrier properties and preservation of formulas ( restitution rate, 
water resistance, formula stability, etc.) . They also shared about their pilot programs on research 
and development, workshops  to rethink the entire product life cycle  and promising initial results , in 
particular with regards to chemical performance . However, results had been obtained at lab scale 
and would  have to be validated on an industrial pilot in the future.  
 
6 The World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO)  
7 According to the Dialogue's Plan 2022 ( INF/TE/IDP/W/5 ), topics include environmentally sustainable 
waste management technologies; environmentally su stainable and effective substitutes and alternatives; reused 
and recycled plastics, including by incentivizing increased reuse and recycling of plastics (considering evidence 
of their long -term impacts); and technologies for environmentally sustainable and  effective substitutes and 
alternatives of interest to developing Members and least developed Members including SIDS which are especially 
vulnerable to marine litter and plastic pollution, and opportunities for their MSMEs.  INF/TE/IDP/R/7  
 
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  14. AptarGroup  shared  its perspectives on alternatives to conventional resin  on the supply and 
customers side  and challenges faced therein . Some of the main challenges included lack of 
infrastructure to p roperly manage plastic ; supply chain stability, locally source d materials; recyclable 
material to replace recycling disruptors ; harmonization of guidelines and regulations ; development 
of collection, sorting and recycling stream worldwide ; and robustness  of reusable products.   
15. On the food industry, Nestlé presented on trade-related challenges in using alternative 
packaging materials  and how global compliance  can be managed . The presentation highlighted 
Nestlé's five-pillar strategy: (i) reduce; (ii) reuse and refill; (iii) redesign; (iv) recycle; and (v) rethink 
behavio urs. To achieve this , Nestlé had a: (i) positive list of CGF's golden design rules  for packaging  
and (ii) a negative list of packaging that should be phased out.  The presentation also noted 
challenges faced in recycling pathways and underscored th at lack of coherence in national 
regulations and differences in recycling proce sses pose d a barrier to trade.  Moreover, there were 
limitations to both mechanical and chemical recycling  and while chemical recycling could  bridge the 
gaps, competition between both technologies should  be prevented.  The presentation also noted a 
need for harmonization on standards for recyclability  and the role of certification in recyclability of 
certain polymers . 
16. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)  presented their packaging 
sustainability framework  (SPHERE ) to support companies in switching to sustainable packaging. The 
focus of this framework is on development, promotion, and harmonization of metrics and 
methodologies . It supports  businesses in accelerating their transition to sustainable and circular 
plastics and packaging by (i) understanding what sustainability in packaging means; (ii) aligning on 
metrics  and reporting and disclosure of plastic -related data; (iii) facilitating dialogues  with 
international efforts, such as UNEA.  SPHERE framework provides an overview of all environmental 
impacts and the trade -offs between them and  supports businesses in decision -making with two 
different scenarios:  the eco -design approach and the portfolio approach . Through this framework, 
WBCSD had developed  a series of six principles8 that should be met in order to meet the definition 
of sustainable packaging.  
3.3  Presentation by the World Bank Group on the Plastic Substitution Trade off Estimator 
and related study aimed at providing a holistic comparison of the costs and benefits of 
plastics and their alternatives.  
17. The World Bank Group shared their recent study on the Plastic Substitution Trade off Estimator  
which provided a holistic comparison of the costs and benefits of plastics and their alternatives . The 
estimator compare d ten plastic products9 with up to four alternatives currently available in the 
market . The comparison was based on the basis of input, one -to-one weight of the alternative, 
function performed , lifecycle assessment, external cost analysis  as well as on monetary  valuation  
includi ng quantitative assessment and qualitative assessment . The tool that was designed to be 
implemented in any given country , provided best alternatives depending on national capacity  and 
possibility for local production  and imports . It compare d impacts on sev eral fronts  including  
greenhouse gas  emissions as well as land and water use, consumption  etc. The tool not only allowed 
to tailor the analysis to a country conte xt but also allowed monetary valuation to determine the 
external costs of plastics and their alternatives.  The World Bank had piloted this data -driven model 
in five countries (Bangladesh, Mozambique, Nigeria, St. Lucia, and Vietnam). The presentation also 
highlighted  some limitations of the estimator  such as it could not be used to assess the effectiveness 
of regulatory schemes and policies; financial implications of  product substitution ; and affordability 
and acceptability by users  of the alternative  materials.  Finally, t he World Bank Group underscore d 
that the re was a disconn ection in the w ay data was generated and processed  and conveyed that  the 
WTO could contribute in bringing more transparency on both product trade and waste trade .  
 
8 The s ix principles  were: (i) m inimize t he drivers of climate change; (ii) optimize efficiency; (iii) maximize 
circularity; (iv) optimize end of life; (v) avoid harmful substances; (vi) minimize the drivers of biodiversity loss  
9 The t en plastic products and their alternatives  were:  (i) fishing nets  - nylon, polypropylene, cotton, 
hemp ; (ii) beverage bottles  – PET, aluminium, glass, polypropylene ; (iii) beverage cups and food containers  – 
EPS, paper (cardboard), PLA, polypropylene ; (iv) shopping bags  - LDPE (single use), LDPE (multiple u se), jute, 
paper, cotton ; (v) disposable utensils  – polypropylene, bio -polypropylene, steel, wood ; (vi) food wrappers  – PVC, 
aluminium, PET, Bio -LDPE; (vii) sachets  - HDPE and PET, aluminium wrap, PET ; (viii) beverage cartons  – multi-
material, PET, glass ; (ix) clothing  – multi-material, cotton, linen, bamboo ; and (x) diapers  – multi-material, 
cotton, bamboo . INF/TE/IDP/R/7  
 
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  3.4  Briefing by UNCTAD and WTO Secretariats on the preparations for the Dialogue's 
exploratory workshop on sustainable alternatives and substitutes to plastic.  
18. UNCTAD and WTO Secretariats briefed participants on the preparations for the Dialogue's 
exploratory workshop on sustainable alternatives and substitutes to plastic,  which was scheduled to 
take place on 6  December 2022, right before the fourth plenary meeting on 7 December.  The 
workshop would have three sets of panel discussions on two parallel streams and would tentatively 
involve various partners from multilateral agencies. UNCTAD informed that the works hop would 
cover a range of issues including inter alia  working definitions; minimum criteria for lifecycle analysis 
and affordability, accessibility and availability; illustrative and extended list of material substitutes 
and material identification exerci se; and HS code identification exercise and trade -related measures 
enabling single -use plastic products  and "other" problematic goods substitution by sustainable 
materials. On these four points, the WTO Secretariat  emphasi zed that the idea of the workshop 
would be to compile and showcase the wealth of information that ha d already been produced by the 
Dialogue and that would  continue to be produced in the upcoming meetings , thus providing a good 
scientific and technical basis for discussions among D ialogue co -sponsors in 2023 . 
3.5  Interventions by delegations and stakeholders.  
19. On plastic alternatives and substitutes, one delegation  emphasized that  regulatory measures 
to support or stimulate the usage of plastic substitutes or alternatives in terms of int ernational trade 
should be consistent with WTO rules and obligations.  Such measures had to  take into account 
readiness of industry to switch to alternatives and the timing for such a transition, as well as the 
cost of the alternatives, consequences for con sumers and environment and the expediency of plastic 
substitutes against other regulatory instruments.  It was also highlighted  that the life  cycle of most 
alternatives to plastic was more carbon -intensive  and therefore due consideration should be given  
to consequences of such decisions for the environment . CIEL stated the importance of ensuring the 
usage of only th ose alternatives  that were truly circular and non -toxic.   
4  CROSS -CUTTING  ISSUES10 
4.1  Introductory remarks by facilitator.  
20. Fiji, one of the Dialogue Coordinators introduced  the session and recalled that during the 
inception phase  of the Dialogue , many  Members had raised the issue of coherence between the 
Dialogue's work and plastic initiatives being undertaken in other international organizations.  Fiji 
informed that the  session on cross -cutting issues aimed to bring these conversations together . A 
few stakeholders  were invited to share their work related to plastics, their objectives,  and next steps  
in order to reflect on the synergies  and build discussions on global efforts to address the plastic 
problem.  
4.2  Update on the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) negotiation process.  
21. Ms Jyoti Mathur -Filipp, the recently nominated Executive Secretary of the intergovernmental 
negotiating committee (INC) secretariat  at the  United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) , 
provided an update on the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) negotiation process  and 
the outcome  of the first meeting of the Open -Ended Working Group ( OEWG)  which had been held 
from 29 May to 1 June 2022 , to prepare for the work of the INC . The INC would work from the 
second half of 2022 to  end of  2024 on forging an internationally  legally binding instrument  on plastic 
pollution addressing the full lifecycle of plastic . The instrument would consider  promotion of 
sustainable production and consumption of plastics ; capacity building, technologies, technical and 
financial assistance ; data, monitoring, reporting, means of assessing implementation & 
effectiveness ; address compliance ; promote  National Action Plans ; research & innovation; scientific 
and socio -economic info rmation  and assessment ; and multi-stakeholder engagement, cooperation, 
coordination, action at all levels . The presentation also highlight ed some of the deliverables of the 
instrument including obligations, measures, voluntary approaches that could  be taken to achieve 
the instrument's objectives ; finance mechanisms  and implementation; and mechanism for policy -
relevant scientific and socio-economic information and assessment . UNEP also shared tentative dates 
 
10 According to the Dialogue's Plan 2022 ( INF/TE/IDP/W/5 ), topics include capacity building and technical 
assistance; fostering international cooperation on transparency and data; cooperation and collaboration with 
other international organizations and processes, and collective approaches.  INF/TE/IDP/R/7  
 
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  of the INC process and informed that the registration was open for both governments as well as 
stakeholders.  
22. This was followed by a briefing from the WTO Secretariat on its partic ipation at the OEWG and 
contribution to UNEA discussions. The WTO informed that UNEP invited the Secretariat to participate 
in the first OEWG meeting held in Dakar, particularly at a multi -stakeholder  dialogue. At the event, 
the WTO presented the work that  the Dialogue ha d been developing and placed emphasis  on 
international collaboration and avoiding duplication of efforts . The WTO also informed that its 
participation was well received and there was genuine interest by the delegates and stakeholders in 
the plastic discussions  at the WTO . Overall, the collaboration was useful as it helped to continue 
strengthen their technical collaboration with UNEP . 
4.3  Cooperation with the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the WCO Global Green 
Customs Conference and HS reform.  
23. The WCO presented the main takeaways from  the first WCO Global Green Customs Conference  
held on 27 -28 June 2022 and HS reform and other efforts to bett er identify material flows of plastic 
through trade and value chains . The conference had four sessions and covered topics from circular 
economy  to cross -border movement of wastes, to  implementation and how customs  could  contribute  
to addressing environmental issues . WCO noted that while circular economy (CE) was a high priority 
in the Green Agenda, there were environmental shortcomings which need ed to be identified, 
monitored, controlled and regulated across international borders.  It also noted that the private sector 
could  play a supportive role in helping to better assess the substantial environmental impacts of 
trade, by collecting more frequent and accurate information on the environmental footprint of 
commodities.  The WCO also shared some challenges and opportunities  for various stakeholders  as 
well as  next steps . Participants were  informed that the WCO Secretariat would  organize a series of 
symposia on “Visualising a greener HS” between October 2022 and January 2023, to discuss these 
issues in depth . 
24. In continuation of this discussion, the WTO Secretariat provided an update on WCO -WTO 
cooperation as requested by the Dialogue communication adopted on 8 June 2022  and shared the 
three initial potential areas of work the two organizations had agreed to namely : i) better 
identification of problematic plastics  (e.g. through exploring a potential customs definition for 
"single -use plastics"  using the Dialogue mapping of  TrPMs and other sources) ; ii) better identification 
of hidden flows  of plastics embedded in goods or as packaging (e.g. through the use of product 
identifiers  – IDs - and related technologies  and with the support of leading companies and 
governmental institutions ); and iii) better identification/differentiation of prefera ble goods  (e.g. 
through exploring additional subheadings for finished preferable "plastic" goods as well as 
substitutes ). It also recalled that the communication include d a pledge by co -sponsors to actively 
engage in support of efforts at the WCO to better  identify plastics flows  and the importance of 
contributing to the current HS reform process . 
4.4  Update on the outcome of the Oceans Conference 2022  
25. The participants heard from the Ambassador of Portugal an update on the plastic -related 
outcomes of the Oceans Conference  which was held in Lisbon, Portugal from 27 June – 1 July 2022.  
The conference received  submissions of over 700 voluntary commitments towards the 
implementation of SDG14  and had action -oriented, science -based political declaration  which was 
adopted by consensus  by the Members.  Voluntary commitments in the conference included 
commitments by Members and stakeholders in relation to marine pollution, marine science and 
financial commitments . The presentation also shared the main outcomes under the Lisbon 
Declaration  which in cluded  inter alia  restoring and maintaining fish stocks; ending harmful subsidies;  
preventing, reducing  and eliminating marine plastic litter and marine pollution of all kinds ; 
establishing effective partnerships; enhancing cooperation at the global, regional, subregional, 
national and local levels ; and strengthening the science -policy interface.  
4.5  Aid for Tr ade (AfT) Global Review 2022 and the AfT Needs Assessment Survey  
26. Ecuador provided a briefing on the Dialogue side event on plastics, "the Circular Economy and 
Options to Mainstream Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade in Aid for Trade " held on 28 Jul y 
2022 during the Eighth Aid for Trade (AfT) Global Review 2022.  The event was facilitated by the INF/TE/IDP/R/7  
 
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  WTO Secretariat and the session heard perspectives of pacific -island s, SIDS and least developed 
countries. The discussions also highlighted the challenges that these countries face and the 
opportunities available in terms of downstream as well as upstream solutions.   
27. This was followed by an update by the WTO Secretariat on the AfT Needs Assessment Survey  
which had been launched in June 2022 and was available  in three languages  in digital format . The 
presentation noted that the survey sought to enhance transparency on the needs and the 
programmes already in place to support developing countries  and improve coherence and 
cooperation between different actors . The survey was still open and the participants were 
encouraged to send in their submissions.  
4.6  Briefing by the World Bank Group on trade -related aspects of their programs to 
address plastic pollution, in particular in the Asia -Pacific region.  
28. The World Bank Grou p made a presentation on trade -related aspects of their programs to 
address plastic pollution, in particular in the Asia -Pacific region. The presentation focussed on the 
regional action plan program  of the World Bank  in the Association of Southeas t Asian Nations  
(ASEAN) region . The regional program which would  run from 2022 to 2026 had two main 
components : strengthening regional p olicies and  institutions for plastics circularity ; and establishing 
regional platforms to  promote innovations, knowledge, and partnerships  for plastics circularity . The 
program also included 14 plans covering elements of policy support and planning; research, 
innovation and capacity building ; public awareness , education and outreach ; and private sector 
engagement . The presentation also highlighted some key issues that were being faced in terms  of 
management of plastic wastes, policy dimensions, costs and regulations.  
4.7  Interventions by delegations and stakeholders.  
29. Overall, the valuable experience sharing was welcomed and spurred engagement among 
participants.  A few delegations took the floor in support of the WTO's contribution to the UNEA 
process  and welcomed updates  provided by the UNEP Secretariat . Discussions highlighted that these 
joint efforts in the area of plastics would be very useful, particularly as there were Members that 
were participating in both processes . Discussions also noted that the cooperation between UNCTAD 
and the WTO could bring in different stakeholders and could contribute on be half of  the Dialogue to 
the INC negotiation process.  One delegation  encouraged stakeholders involved at various stages of 
the global value chain of plastics to engage actively in the UNEA process.  
30. Five delegations and two stakeholders also welcomed the upd ates from the WCO and 
supported the work initiated under the WTO-WCO cooperation . Discussions put an emphasis on  the 
need to encourage national submissions for the  revision of WCO HS 2027 review cycle for which 
draft amendments will be finalized by March 2 024. Discussions also impressed upon the importance 
of combining synergies between different international organizations as well as stakeholders and 
bringing environment community in these conversations.  More generally , participants  underlined  
that tackling plastic pollution could not be achieved in silos and welcomed the Dialogue's leadership 
and commitment in terms of brin ging inclusivity and encouraging stakeholders' contribution as well 
as civil society engagement.   
5  CONCLUDING REMARKS BY CO ORDINATORS  
31. China informed about the Dialogue's next steps in terms of how to encourage more WTO 
Members to join  and how to achieve concrete results before the 13th Ministerial Conference. The 
next plenary meeting of the Dialogue would take place on 11 October 2022 and the fourth pre -
plenary was tentatively scheduled on 21 November 2022. The Dialogue was also organizing a high -
level stocktaking side event on 18 October 2022 during the Trade and Environment Week. Lastly, 
China recalled  once again  that the two surveys were still ongoing and encouraged Members and 
stakeholders to participate.  
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